Content warning: This film documents the 1939 New York World's Fair, which featured racist and ableist ethnological expositions that put non-western people and people with disabilities on public display, often emphasizing the supposed inferiority and "primitive" nature of those cultures and peoples.

Amateur film of the New York World's Fair (1939-40). Reel 2. Main Loop Section of the Amusement Area.

Marked: "Amusement #2: Aquacade and Nude Shows."

Legacy shot list:

World's Fairs: New York, 1939-40; Home movies- amateur films.

Excellent color footage of pavilions, performances, amusement rides in Kodachrome. Salvador Dali pavilion at 3:01:39:12. Racy footage of burlesque acts, sunbathing.

Slate- Main Loop of Amusement Area. International pavilions. Statue of man holding shield atop building with sign for Blarney Stone, Irish Village. man speaking w/microphone at Philippines pavilion Asian temple region. Buddhist temple pagoda.

Salvador Dali's "Dream of Venus" Surrealist Pavilion. Woman in bikini swimsuit & robe waving to passers-by outside building with mermaid, Venus de Milo exterior artwork. Title "Dali's surrealistic swim suits opened new vistas." Woman in open-chested swimsuit swimming & performing underwater in front of surrealistic sculptures (turtles, etc.) by Dali. Young woman in bikini sitting in clamshell crater thing removing veil, brushing her hair & talking.

VS Sideshow barkers speak to crowd from stage. Two women wear bikinis, tropical leis, skirts. Announcer speaks to crowd outside Seminole Village Pavilion (fake grass Indian hut) with American Indian man & woman on display. People in large crowd move about, stop to look at Seminole booth.

Pavilion with large mural advertising "Olga" the Headless Girl. Framed photograph of headless Olga sitting in chair in laboratory with hoses running into neck. "Nurse" in uniform stands beside real Olga, taking her pulse & operating machine to make her hands move.

Announcer stands at sideshow booth, promoting "Frozen Alive" stunt, with "Frozen Alive" girls in swimsuits. Inside exhibit- Sideshow barker speaks on dark stage, introduces topless woman & describes how she will be frozen in block of ice behind him. Woman lays down inside half of ice block as male assistants close other half over her legs. Woman wriggles inside ice.

VS Admiral Byrd's Penguin Island pavilion. Announcer stands on stage with Alaskan Husky, talking about dog. Dog yawns. INT: penguins in simulated habitat. (molded fiberglass to resemble ice floe.) Man in striped T-shirt feeding penguins in water small fish from bucket. Penguins swim in moat, eat fish, groom.

VS Dingong's "African" pavilion. Man in safari suit & hat talks to crowd. African man in horned hat & grass skirt stands behind him. Native men in tribal dress dance to conga drums. Man in tribal dress performs outdoor shamanistic dance over "dead" man as group of children watch. Man rises back to life, jumps & starts dancing.

VS Children at Fair. Children walking on platform, boarding an amusement ride (Go-Karts?) Two Black boys sitting on bench. Two boys in scout uniforms sitting on bench. Woman in gypsy dress & carrying bottle of wine & cup. boy watching roller coaster ascend (brief) Children driving Go-Karts on track. Swinging capsule ride. Sign for Laff Land funhouse, with clown dancing between two skeletons. Children ride in tethered cars on circular track.

VS Savoy dance club pavilion- WS crowd walking on fairgrounds. EXT pavilion- figures moving- simulating dancers. Sign advertising "World's Greatest Colored Dancers." Black jazz musicians (bassist, drummer, guitarist & trumpet player) perform, couple dances fast dance (Lindy Hop?) outside pavilion.

Title- "The Drinking Crowd." Children & adults waiting, taking turns drinking from two outdoor water fountains.

Crowds walking past Chicken Inn restaurant, down midway from Savoy pavilion, NTG Congress of Beauty booth. Title- "The visitors were more interesting than some of the attractions." Elderly man in suit & sunglasses reclining on bench. Man in cap takes paper bag from woman & child. Woman & girl in matching dresses. Overweight couple walking. Brother & sister holding hands. People being given ride in motorized cart. Families, soldiers in uniform walking down midway.

NTG Congress of Beauty sign. EXT: ornate pavilion. Barker in straw hat speaking on stage, flanked by two young women wearing red, white & blue feathered headdresses.

Title: "These ladies are called sun worshippers." VS young Caucasian women in sheer bikinis, tropical bottoms relaxing & sunbathing outdoors. Blonde woman in bikini dances w/ colored scarf. Woman sunbathing outdoors. Women in bikinis sitting on rope swing. Young woman holding tree branch, shaking fist & imitating Tarzan. Title: "Far from the fold." Sheep on leash grazing. Women on platform in BG. Woman in bikini notices camera, turns her head away, then poses. Women relaxing, smoking, eating etc. Woman holding chicken. Title: "They like jacks." Woman playing jacks, smiling on concrete bench. Woman laying under umbrella on wooden platform. Two women in swimsuits playing croquet. Title: "Le Danse Barebareic" Two White women in shear bikinis & grass skirts dancing outdoors in front of Pacific Island tribal artwork backdrop as another woman plays conga drum.

People walking on Midway. Woman & three children sitting in sun on wooden bench. Boy buying drink from soda jerk in bow tie at Orange Crush stand. Bearded man in suspenders & straw hat walking. Three women walking away from camera, one wearing slacks. Young Black boy in overalls & cap looking up, holding mother's hand while waiting to get into booth.

EXT: VS Sun Valley "Winter Wonderland" Swiss Alps-style village. Snowman in front. PAN up to clock tower. Crowds walking past quaint buildings inside. EXT: building surrounded by evergreen trees, simulated snow-covered mountain. Male emcee/orchestra leader singing at microphone. Ice show: Female performers in matching pink & black outfits skating in two chains in ice rink, spectators in stands. Matador fighting fake "bull" (two people in costume) in ice rink. Man, couple figure skating. Man spinning with woman suspended by her legs from his shoulders. Women in white angelic costumes holding white feathered plumes & performing on ice. Women in Swiss bonnet spinning. Couple in Western gear figure-skating. Male stunt skater stacking barrels, jumping them- first in pile then in line (slo-mo). Barrels spell out "Sun Valley." Couples figure skating. VS male, female skiers perform ski jumps on downhill ramp slope. HA Crowd in audience watching.

EXT: Crystal Palace pavilion. Sign advertising Dove Dancer. Inside:(dark) Female dancer in burlesque costume performs in front of large bell. Male announcer. Group of women dance in burlesque routine. Woman reclining in cage. Other performers.

LA Parachute Jump in operation. Parachute descending from top of tower. Chutes being raised back up into position. Young women buying tickets for rides at booth. Title: "Rubber Necks on Parade." VS people watching jumpers. Children on bench looking & pointing. Men, women, children looking up, watching parachutes. Black family on bench looking up. EXT: Victoria Falls pavilion. Three Black men in African tribal dress playing conga drums & singing.

EXT: Norman Bel Geddes' Crystal Lassies Pavilion. VS Female burlesque show & "cute" intertitles. Sign describes show "Nine girls dancing solo in five minute relays..." Nude female mannequin with sign "She's Real."(filmmaker reflected in mirror.) Stage performance (dark) topless woman reclining on stage, dancing. Topless woman spinning in place, dancing in green shear skirt. Dancer reflected in floor mirror. Blonde topless dancer. Woman dancing & waving scarves. Woman in sequined dress dancing.

EXT: Wild West Rodeo. VS man in cowboy hat waving crowds toward pavilion. Two young women in Western gear. Band conductor on stage. Men & women on horseback assembling in front of pavilion. Children sitting on horseback behind wooden railing.

Cuban Village pavilion. VS artwork of Cuban dancers. Men & women in Cuban costumes (men in ruffled sleeves, women in bikinis & dresses dancing passionately outdoors on pavilion platform. Woman in bikini dancing by drummers. Titles: "Dance Sacrificio," "Dance Rurales," "La Conga." "Shoeing the Mare." Circle of female dancers moving in, out.

People practicing archery with bows & arrows on colored targets outdoors.

VS Glenn Gray jazz band playing on outdoor bandstand. Pairs of teenage dancers (mostly female) dance to music - Jitterbug, slow dancing, Lindy Hop, etc. Bandleader Glenn Gray signs autographs for fans.

Misc. Fair pavilions, amusements. EXT: Washington Hall. EXT: White house with American flag waving from roof. EXT: Meteor Speedway. Automatic figure laughing & pointing outside amusement ride w/ British flag. Two Black boys standing on midway. WS Cyclone roller coaster. "Giant 30" Monsters sign." Shoot the Works, Dodgem Midway games. Spinning saucer amusement ride. Monorail on course. EXT: Dutch-style windmill turning.

Title: Fountain (Liberty) Lake. WS lake with people in paddleboats, Parachute Jump on horizon. Two people in paddleboat leaving pier. Young boy standing on pier. Worker pushing paddleboat with wooden pole. Group of people in tour boat traveling on lake. Gondola on water. Florida Pavilion on lake. WS building on lakeshore with sun breaking through clouds.

"Night in the Amusement Area." VS pavilions, rides with neon lights at night. Freak shows, Adm. Byrd's penguin house, spinning ride with lights on arms, carousel. EXT: American Museum of Natural History. Waist-down rear view of young women in swimsuits standing on stage. Burlesque dancers performing with feathered wings. Woman in display window checking her makeup in hand mirror, removing her bra. Glass Blowing display. "Frozen Alive" girls standing wrapped in towels. Clown sitting outside booth. Aquacade. WS line of dancers in swimsuits perform on stage. Fireworks display in night sky.

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